Must Charity Vows Be Fulfilled Despite Financial Strain?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I vowed to give charity each time I committed a recurring sin, but I forgot, and the amount now exceeds £1000. Can I cancel or modify this oath due to hardship, especially with marriage approaching?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

If you audibly invoked the name of Allah Most High while making a religious vow (nadhr) to give charity, then the vow is valid and must be fulfilled. You may do so bit by bit, as you have a marriage approaching. There’s no hurry as long as you have the intention to pay it.

Vows

A vow is to verbally swear that if something happens, one will do some act of worship, like praying, fasting, giving charity, and the like. If that thing does take place, then it is wajib (necessary) for him to fulfill the vow by doing that act of worship. [‘Ala’ al-Din Ibn ‘Abidin, ql-Hadiyya al-‘Ala’iyya; Maydani, ql-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab]

You can search for answers related to this topic on SeekersGuidance.com.

I would like you to read through the valuable answers and links below. Insha’Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.

Related

• Oaths Archives – SeekersGuidance
• Expiation for a Broken Oath – SeekersGuidance
• What Are the Words Which Make an Oath Binding? – SeekersGuidance
• Vows and Oaths: Keep Repeating the Mistake. Do I have to keep repeating – IslamQA

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.